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Die Luftschiffeflotte
The second largest branch of the Chisel Enterprises Military Union, Die Luftschiffeflotte (Literally: "The Airship Fleet"), represents a new direction for the corporation. Thrust into the limelight in the Morsehead Conflagration, the branch underwent a significant change, becoming one of the most powerful air fleets in the world. Origins The origins of the Luftschiffeflotte began with the construction of the Revenant-I line of ships in 3017. Relatively small to today's standards, it was still the most powerful air fleet on Terra with the only possible exception being the Federation (and later Wiltshire's) Starfleet. However, it saw effectively no action beyond the Federation-C.E. war. While the Kampfgrüppe and Kriegsmarine enjoyed extensive funding and modernization during the Morsehead administration, the Luftschiffeflotte was left to stagnate due to it having no real direct competition or use. With the most powerful type of ship being the Revenant-I class, which was quickly becoming outdated, it was clear that the Luftschiffeflotte was the least important branch of the Chisel Enterprises military. The Tauran arrival on Terra would change all that. Modernization The arrival of the Tauran powers to Terra in 3018 presented the first real extreme challenge to C.E. dominance within the Doggerland bank. Most worrying to C.E. administration was their heavy and effective usage of large airships, of which none of the Terran powers within the Doggerland bank had any equal. Therefore, a modernization policy was enacted under the Morsehead administration which retired the defunct Revenant-I and created several new type of ships, such as the Kukri-Class, the Kondor-Class, and the Skyfall-II class. These would be mass-produced and subsequently used in the invasion of Oscdea, prompting the Morsehead Conflaguration. The Morsehead Conflagration and Second Modernization Period However, an issue was still present. Most of the designs in production were smaller destroyers and frigates, with the exception being the Kondor K-50, which was around the size of an Oscdean battleship. However, the Kondor was never designed for an anti-ship combat role, rather being designed with ground support and troop deployment in mind. Meanwhile, the Oscdean powers and their allies had large capital-class carriers and battleships. This was a major issue for C.E. during the duration of the war, the lack of capital ships proving disastrous in some battles, including the Oscdean counterattack to retake their capital. During the uneasy ceasefire period, and continuing into modern day, there was a second period of extreme modernization ordered by the new C.E.O. of Chisel Enterprises, Florian Steinbauer. This largely focused on the construction of new capital ships to match those of the Oscdean fleet, such as the Albatross-Class Zeppelin-Kampfkruiser and the Ausmerzer class of battleships, as well as the Revenant-II Cruiser. Fleet production of these ships and smaller ships such as destroyers and frigates were also increased, creating a massive demand for raw materials. C.E. has filled this demand by mining off the British Coast, an area known for its richness in natural resources. However, the incessant need for ever-larger amounts of raw materials for ship construction may soon force C.E. to look for other sources. Current Status Alongside the Second Modernization Period, a large recruitment drive to fill the positions needed on the massive new capital ships swelled the ranks of the Luftschiffeflotte, quickly ascending it to be the second largest branch within the Chisel Enterprises Military Union, growing larger than what had been the previous second-largest branch, the Luftwaffe. It also has been funded extensively, receiving about 30% of total C.E. military funding, making it the second-most heavily funded C.E. military branch. A new LS-Übergruppenfuhrer, Heint Strömbar, was also assigned to commanding the overall force. Known for his reserved, patient military tactics, he has proved himself to be an extremely capable commander in the field, winning several airship engagements against the Oscdean Vindictus Ove despite having a smaller number of ships in many cases. Ranks Ships